The grand lounge had grown quiet around Michelle, but the party was still moving. Now that Aileen’s warning had cleared the troublemakers away, no one dared to bother her, but no one dared to approach her either. She sat alone at the edge of the ballroom, watching the night wind down. Everywhere she looked, the elite heirs and socialites were pairing off. Couples laughed softly, holding glasses of champagne, whispering to each other, and leaning in close.Even Ivonne, despite the burning red mark still fading on her cheek, had quickly found shelter. Marcus was standing right beside her, whispering something into her ear while wrapping a supportive arm around her waist. Ivonne leaned into him, playing the part of the protected, wealthy girlfriend perfectly, shooting a brief, smug glance across the room.Watching them all acting lovey-dovey completely twisted something inside Michelle's chest. A sharp wave of loneliness and regret hit her. She had tried to act so mature back at the pill

Inside the headquarters of Greene Global’s Onyx Harbor, the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Chris sat at the head of the long conference table, resting his arms flat against the polished wood. Around him, the top members of his legal team looked completely pale. They nervously shuffled through thick folders of regulatory threats and court notices, their hands shaking slightly.The lead counsel, an older man with years of corporate experience, wiped a layer of cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He looked up at Chris, his eyes filled with anxiety."Mr. Greene, the situation is critical," the lead counsel explained, his voice strained and shaky. "The Zenith Council has just submitted an emergency injunction to the High Court. They are moving to freeze all operations at the Holloway Ridge Mine immediately. If they succeed, it will ruin us."The lawyer leaned forward, spreading three large maps across the table. "They aren't just trying to pause our work, Mr. Greene. They w

The noise in the courtroom finally started to quiet down after the judge hammered his gavel three times. The spectators kept their eyes glued to Chris, waiting for him to break, but his face remained stoic. Beneath the edge of the defense table, out of view of the courtroom cameras, Chris quietly slid his sleek Mikaelson tech tablet out of his leather jacket.He didn't need to type. His Eyes of Rom flared with a faint, deep blue glow as he connected his thoughts directly to his artificial intelligence system."Bodas,"Chris commanded silently through the secure link. "Dig into Judge Sterling right now. Total digital penetration. Find the exact price tag on his integrity. I want every single file."The artificial intelligence responded inside his earpiece with terrifying efficiency. The automated voice was steady, clear, and fast. "System active. Initiating total sweep of Judge Sterling's personal, professional, and hidden digital footprints. Breaking through local banking firewalls now

The fifteen-minute court recess ended exactly on time. The heavy wooden doors of the Onyx Harbor High Court swung open, and the crowd scrambled back into their seats. The spectators leaned forward in their benches, whispering excitedly. The elite members of the Zenith High Council sat behind their table, smoothing their expensive suits and smiling. They looked at the empty defense table, waiting to watch Chris Greene lose everything he owned.Chris walked back into the room with slow, calm steps. He sat down at the defense table, casual and completely unbothered. Adrian took his place right behind his chair, keeping his hands clasped behind his back.A sharp knock sounded from the front of the room. "All rise," the court clerk called out.The side door opened, and Judge Sterling walked back out to his elevated bench. The transformation in the old man was shocking. The stern, arrogant look was entirely gone from his face. His skin was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands shook

Chris walked out of the chaotic courtroom a total victor, stepping directly into his armored black vehicle. The sleek car tore through the rainy streets of Onyx Harbor, driving straight back to the high-security perimeter of the Greene Global research and development sector. The legal and political battle against the Zenith High Council was won, but the physical threat still loomed over his empire. Chris knew the desperate council would try to weaponize the municipal power project to shut down his manufacturing plants. He had to be entirely independent.Before leaving for Arcadia City weeks prior, Chris had tasked his elite team of engineers and scientists with a top-secret project. He had ordered them to harness the raw, mythical energy of the Vibranium gem samples he had successfully mined from the Holloway Ridge facility.The armored vehicle pulled up to the rear entrance of a massive, heavily reinforced laboratory warehouse. The building was surrounded by thick concrete walls, se